The institutionalization process for the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) mechanism for the 10-year CLME+ Strategic Action Programme (SAP) is moving well ahead.

During a recent meeting (May 24th – 27th, 2017), the 8 Inter-Governmental Organizations that will constitute the CLME+ SAP Interim Coordination Mechanism (ICM) discussed important aspects of the development of an indicators framework. They agreed on a first set of 14 indicators that will be used to track progress in the implementation of specific actions of the SAP.

The CLME+ PCU will continue providing proposals for indicators to be discussed with the CLME+ SAP ICM members during the course of the year. We aim to be able to present the full formal SAP M&E indicator set for endorsement by CLME+ countries by the Mid-Term CLME+ Project Steering Committee Meeting in 2018 (currently anticipated to take place in March).

Regarding the “State of the Marine Ecosystems and Associated Economies” (SOMEE) reporting mechanism, a first draft outline for the SOMEE report was presented for the consideration of Governments at the following Inter-Governmental and Ministerial Council Meetings, leading to a series of formal Recommendations and Decisions:

the 17th Intergovernmental Meeting of the Cartagena Convention (March 2017);
“Requests the Secretariat to continue its efforts to integrate its work under the AMEP and SPAW subprogrammes including (…) the completion of the LBS SOCAR and State of Habitats reports and their integration into the CLME+ SOMEE (…)”

the Caribbean Fisheries Forum (March 2017);
The following recommendations were taken forward to CRFM’s Ministerial Council and were accepted at that instance.“Acknowledges the importance of institutionalising a comprehensive, integrated reporting mechanism on the “State of the Marine Environment and associated Economies in the CLME+ region” (SOMEE) as a means to ensure improvement in the governance and management of the living marine resources and to plan and track progress on the implementation of the CLME+ SAP;Acknowledges also that the CRFM will have a key role in the development and consolidation of such reporting mechanism, and that this role should be in alignment with the CRFM’s mandate, its role under the Regional Governance Framework, and the application of the principle of subsidiarity, called for under the CLME+ SAP;Endorses the proposed conceptual framework for the CLME+ SOMEE reporting mechanism, and the draft SOMEE outline, as a basis for the further work to be conducted on this mechanism with the participation of the CRFM Secretariat and through the financial and technical support of the CLME+ Project.”

the 4th Council of Ministers of the OECS (April 2017)“Adopts and institutionalises the CLME+ SOMEE as a supporting mechanism for implementation of the CLME+ Strategic Action Programme AND endorse the Table of Contents prepared by the CLME+ Project (Output 5.2 and related target).”

the 14th Session of the IOC Sub-Commission for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (IOCaribe, April 2017)“Recognizes the proposed preliminary outline for the CLME+ reporting mechanism as a basis for the development of the “State of the Marine Ecosystems and associated Economies in the Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems” (CLME+ SOMEE).Instructs the IOCARIBE Secretary to coordinate with the CLME+ Project Coordination Unit, IOCARIBE’s contribution to the SOMEE (…)”

It is expected that during 2017 the Constituencies of OSPESCA and the CCAD (SICA), and CARICOM will also be able to review the SOMEE approach and its draft outline at their forthcoming meetings. Likewise, a recommendation on the SOMEE outline will be sought this year from the FAO-WECAFC’s Scientific Advisory Group (SAG).

An annotated outline and “prototype” version of the report are now also being developed by the CLME+ PCU, to further create awareness among our stakeholders, and inform on the SOMEE development process.